Access to this airport is pretty simple from major...

Access to this airport is pretty simple from major freeways (101, 87, 17/880). Plenty of short/long term parking. While other airport options exist nearby (SF, Oakland, Monterey) I prefer SJC.
- I predominately travel using American Airlines who has an Admirals Club here and reasonable flight schedule options (although it was better years ago when SJC was an American hub location). Inside the secured area (where the Gates are, thru TSA) there are plenty of small shops, places for food, both a Peets and $tarBucks coffee, book stores and restrooms.
- I've never had an issue where arriving at least 3 hours before your flight was required (although I did get burned once on a codeshare American flight serviced by Alaskan Airlines who refused me a boarding pass because their self-serve machines were down and waiting in line I got to their ticket counter only 40 minutes before flight time, so I had to schlep my bags back over to the Ametican terminal where they confirmed that if it had been at an American Gate that they would have issued me a boarding pass as long as the Jetbridge door for that flight was still open (and they apologized for their "partner's" overly aggressive rule). American then re-routed my itinerary for free putting me on different/alternate American flights (ones that would have been more expensive if I had booked them) that got me where I was going on-time and gave me upgraded preferred seats - again for free, AND they were done BEFORE my original flight departed (in other words in less than what was left of those 40 minutes even including the inter-terminal foot travel excursion).
- Bottomline is ANYtime there has been any unplanned travel complication (like, equipment/weather canceled flights) American has always taken care of me (arranging ground transportation to a nearby quality hotel, providing dinner vouchers, re-booking onto first thing next morning direct flight to my original location in upgraded seating - all at $0 to me). SJC continues to be my preferred home base.